Method and apparatus for facilitating purchase transactions across a network

ABSTRACT

A local computer system that provides and records information to facilitate a purchase transaction across a network operates by first receiving a request for billing information relating to a purchase transaction from a remote computer system. The local system then retrieves the billing information from its local store, and sends the billing information to the remote system. After the remote system completes the purchase transaction, the local system receives a confirmation from the remote system. The local system then records this confirmation in its local store, which enables a user of the local system to subsequently look up the confirmation information based on a purchase transaction identifier. Before the local system retrieves and sends the billing information, a user of the local system is asked to confirm if the billing information can be released to the remote system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/560,660, filed Apr. 27, 2000. This application is incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electronic commerce. More specifically,the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providinginformation and recording information in order to facilitate a purchasetransaction conducted across a network.

RELATED ART

The recent success of the electronic commerce over the Internet canlargely be attributed to the ease with which consumers can make purchasetransactions from the comfort and privacy of their homes at any hour ofthe day or night.

One of the problems in making such purchase transactions is that aconsumer is required to input billing information, such as credit cardinformation and a shipping address, in order to consummate the purchasetransaction. The requirement to continually resubmit such informationfor each purchase transaction is an annoyance that can make the processof purchasing items across the Internet less attractive to a consumer.

In order to remedy this problem, some web sites store billinginformation for consumers that visit their web sites, so that theconsumer does not have to re-enter the same billing information forsubsequent purchase transactions on the web sites. Unfortunately, sincethe billing information is kept separately on each web site, theconsumer must still re-enter the billing information in order topurchase items from new web sites.

What is needed is a method and an apparatus that provides billinginformation to a remote computer system in order to facilitate apurchase transaction from the remote computer system.

After a purchase transaction is complete, web sites often communicateconfirmation information, such as a confirmation number, details of thepurchase transaction and shipping information, to the consumer. This istypically accomplished by displaying the confirmation information on theconsumer's browser. Unfortunately, in order to remember thisconfirmation information, the consumer typically scribbles theconfirmation information on a scrap of paper, which can be easily lost.Confirmation information can additionally be sent to a consumer in anemail message. However, this email message must be saved andcross-referenced with the purchase transaction, which involves extrawork that can be annoying to the consumer.

Additionally, what is needed is a method and an apparatus thatautomatically receives and stores confirmation information related tothe purchase transaction so that the confirmation information to beeasily retrieved by the consumer.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system thatprovides information and records information to facilitate a purchasetransaction across a network. The system operates by receiving a requestfor billing information relating to a purchase transaction from a remotecomputer system. In response to the request, the system retrieves thebilling information from a local store in the local computer system, andsends the billing information to the remote computer system. After theremote computer system completes the purchase transaction, the systemreceives confirmation information for the purchase transaction from theremote computer system. The system records this confirmation informationin the local store in the local computer system. This enables a user ofthe local computer system to subsequently look up the confirmationinformation based on a purchase transaction identifier.

In one embodiment of the present invention, retrieving the billinginformation involves asking the user of the local computer system if thebilling information can be released to the remote computer system. Ifthe user confirms that the billing information can be released to theremote computer system, the local computer system sends the billinginformation to the remote computer system. In a variation on thisembodiment, the system additionally asks the user of the local computersystem for a password for the billing information, and uses thispassword to access the billing information from the local store.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the billing informationincludes credit card information for the purchase transaction, a billingaddress for the purchase transaction, and a shipping address for thepurchase transaction.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the confirmation informationincludes a confirmation number for the purchase transaction, a list ofthe items involved in the purchase transaction, a total amount for thepurchase transaction, a seller's name for the purchase transaction, adate of the purchase transaction, and shipping information related tothe purchase transaction.

In one embodiment of the present invention, prior to receiving therequest for the billing information, the system asks the user of thelocal computer system for the billing information, and records thebilling information in the local store in the local computer system.

In one embodiment of the present invention, prior to receiving therequest for the billing information, the system receives a request fromthe user of the local computer system to purchase at least one item fromthe remote computer system, and forwards the request to the remotecomputer system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a distributed computer system in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a record containing billing information in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a record containing confirmation information inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the process of automaticallyproviding billing information and automatically recording confirmationinformation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context ofa particular application and its requirements. Various modifications tothe disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied toother embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is notintended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accordedthe widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosedherein.

The data structures and code described in this detailed description aretypically stored on a computer readable storage medium, which may be anydevice or medium that can store code and/or data for use by a computersystem. This includes, but is not limited to, magnetic and opticalstorage devices such as disk drives, magnetic tape, CDs (compact discs)and DVDs (digital video discs), and computer instruction signalsembodied in a transmission medium (with or without a carrier wave uponwhich the signals are modulated). For example, the transmission mediummay include a communications network, such as the Internet.

Distributed Computing System

FIG. 1 illustrates a distributed computer system 100 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. Distributed computer system 100includes client 102 coupled to servers 112 and 116 through network 110.

Network 110 can include any type of wire or wireless communicationchannel capable of coupling together computing nodes. This includes, butis not limited to, a local area network, a wide area network, or acombination of networks. In one embodiment of the present invention,network 110 includes the Internet.

Client 102 can include any node on network 110 including computationalcapability and including a mechanism for communicating across network110. In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1,client 102 includes browser 103. Browser 103 can include any type of webbrowser capable of viewing a web site, such as the INTERNET EXPLORER™browser distributed by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.

Client 102 is also coupled to storage device 104. Storage device 104 caninclude any type of non-volatile storage device that can be coupled toclient 102. This includes, but is not limited to, magnetic, optical, andmagneto-optical storage devices, as well as storage devices based onsemiconductor flash memory and/or battery-backed up semiconductormemory. Storage device 104 contains billing information 106 andconfirmation information 108 which are described in more detail belowwith reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

Servers 112 and 116 can include any nodes on network 110 including amechanism for servicing requests from client 102 for computationaland/or data storage resources.

Servers 112 and 116 contain web sites 114 and 118, respectively. Websites 114 and 118 each contain a collection of inter-linked web pagesthat can be navigated through by a user of browser 103 in order to viewtextual and/or graphical data. More specifically, web sites 114 and 118present textual and graphical data to enable a user of browser 103 topurchase items from web sites 114 and 118.

The system illustrated in FIG. 1 operates generally as follows. A userof browser 103 navigates through web site 118 on server 116. During thecourse of this navigation, the user makes a request to purchase one ormore items from web site 118. In order to process the purchasetransaction, web site 118 requests billing information 106 from the userof browser 103. This billing information is retrieved from storagedevice 104 and is sent to web site 118. Web site 118 completes thepurchase operation and sends confirmation information 108 to client 102.This confirmation information is stored in storage device 104.

Billing Information

FIG. 2 illustrates a record containing billing information 106 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Billinginformation 106 includes credit card information, including credit cardnumber 202, credit card name 204 and credit card expiration date 206.Note that any other type of payment instrument can be used instead of acredit card. For example, the billing information 106 can identify adebit card or digital cash. Billing information 106 can also includebilling address 208 (and optionally shipping address 210 if the shippingaddress 210 is different from the billing address 208). Note that anyother type of information that can be utilized by web site 118 tofacilitate the purchase transaction can be included in billinginformation 106.

Confirmation Information

FIG. 3 illustrates a record containing confirmation information 108 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In general,confirmation information 108 can include any type of information relatedto the purchase transaction that can be useful to a purchaser. Forexample, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, confirmationinformation 108 includes confirmation number 302, which can be used toreference the purchase transaction. Confirmation information 108 alsoincludes details of the purchase transaction, including a list of theitems purchased 304, and a total amount 306 (in a currency of choice)for the purchase transaction.

Confirmation information 108 also includes the date and time of thepurchase transaction 308, as well as payment information 310 for thetransaction. This payment information can include the credit cardinformation from billing information 106, as well as any type oftransaction identifiers or other information provided by the credit cardcompany.

Confirmation information 108 also includes shipping information 312which may specify the shipping company, the date the item was shipped, ascheduled delivery time, shipping costs, and a tracking number for theitem.

Providing Billing Information and Recording Confirmation Information

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the process of automaticallyproviding billing information and automatically recording confirmationinformation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The system starts by asking a user of a local computer system (client102) for billing information (step 402). When the user provides thebilling information, client 102 records it in storage device 104 (step404). (Note that this process can take place during a preceding purchasetransaction in which the user enters the billing information.)

While the user of client 102 is scanning through a web site, such as website 118 on server 116, client 102 receives a request from the user topurchase an item from the remote computer system (server 116) (step406). Browser 103 forwards the request to server 116 (step 408).

Next, client 102 receives a query from server 116 asking if client 102is able to provide billing information 106 automatically (step 410).Client 102 responds affirmatively to this query (step 412).

Next, client 102 receives a request for billing information 106 fromserver 116 (step 414). In response to this request, client 102 asks theuser of client 102 if billing information 106 can be released to server116 (step 416). If the user says no, the system sends an error messageto server 116 (step 419) and terminates the process.

If the user responds that the billing information 106 can be released,the system asks the user of client 102 for a password (or some otherform of authentication) in order to access billing information 106 (step420). The system uses the password (or other form of authentication) toretrieve billing information 106 from storage device 104 (step 422).This may involve using the password to decrypt billing information 106.Note that the steps of asking if the local computer system can providebilling information, and asking for a password are optional safeguardsthat are not used in some embodiments of the present invention.

Next, billing information 106 is sent to server 116 (step 424). Thisenables server 116 to process the purchase transaction (step 426).

After the purchase transaction is complete, client 102 receivesconfirmation information 108 from server 116 (step 428). Client 102records confirmation information 108 in storage device 104 in a formthat enables confirmation information 108 to be retrieved using apurchase transaction identifier (step 430). For example, confirmationinformation 108 can be stored so that it can be indexed by variousattributes of the purchase transaction, such as the items purchased, theseller of the items, the date of the purchase, the confirmation numberor the amount of the purchase. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, when the user of client 102 subsequently asks to viewconfirmation information, the user is presented with confirmationinformation from recent purchase transactions involving various websites on network 110. This enables the user to select the confirmationinformation for a particular purchase transaction.

The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the invention have beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description only. They arenot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to theforms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will beapparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the abovedisclosure is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope ofthe present invention is defined by the appended claims.

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A method performed by a local computer systemhaving an electronic storage device, comprising: receiving a request forbilling information at the local computer system from a remote computersystem; electronically retrieving at least some of the billinginformation from the electronic storage device in the local computersystem; sending the retrieved billing information from the localcomputer system to the remote computer system; waiting for the remotecomputer system to complete the purchase transaction; and receivingconfirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remotecomputer system at the local computer system.
 23. The method of claim 22wherein the billing information comprises at least one of: credit cardinformation for the purchase transaction; a billing address for thepurchase transaction; and a shipping address for the purchasetransaction.
 24. The method of claim 22, further comprisingelectronically recording the confirmation information in the electronicstorage device.
 25. The method of claim 22 wherein the act ofelectronically retrieving at least some of the billing information fromthe electronic storage device in the local computer system comprises:providing a query at the local computer system about whether the billinginformation can be released to the remote computer system; receiving aresponse to the query at the local computer system; and electronicallyretrieving at least some of the billing information from the electronicstorage device in the local computer system if the response to the queryindicates that the billing information can be released to the remotecomputer system.
 26. The method of claim 22 wherein the act of sendingthe retrieved billing information from the local computer system to theremote computer system comprises: providing a query at the localcomputer system about whether the billing information can be released tothe remote computer system; receiving a response to the query at thelocal computer system; and sending the retrieved billing informationfrom the local computer system to the remote computer system only if theresponse to the query indicates that the billing information can bereleased to the remote computer system.
 27. The method of claim 22wherein the act of electronically retrieving at least some of thebilling information from the electronic storage device in the localcomputer system comprises: providing a query at the local computersystem for a password for the billing information; receiving a responseto the query at the local computer system, the response including a userpassword; determining at the local computer system if the user passwordmatches the password for the billing information; and if thedetermination is made that the user password matches the password forthe billing information, electronically retrieving at least some of thebilling information from the electronic storage device in the localcomputer system.
 28. The method of claim 22 wherein the act of sendingthe retrieved billing information from the local computer system to theremote computer system comprises: providing a query at the localcomputer system for a password for the billing information; receiving aresponse to the query at the local computer system, the responseincluding a user password; determining at the local computer system ifthe user password matches the password for the billing information; andif the determination is made that the user password matches the passwordfor the billing information, sending the retrieved billing informationfrom the local computer system to the remote computer system.
 29. Themethod of claim 22 wherein the confirmation information comprises atleast one of: a confirmation number for the purchase transaction; a listof items involved in the purchase transaction; a total amount for thepurchase transaction; a seller's name for the purchase transaction; adate of the purchase transaction; and shipping information related tothe purchase transaction.
 30. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising, prior to receiving the request for the billing information:providing a query for the billing information at the local computersystem; in response to the query, receiving the billing information atthe local computer system; and recording the received billinginformation in the electronic storage device in the local computersystem.
 31. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructionsthat, when executed by a local computer system, causes the localcomputer system to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving arequest for billing information at the local computer system from aremote computer system; electronically retrieving at least some of thebilling information from an electronic storage device in the localcomputer system; sending the retrieved billing information from thelocal computer system to the remote computer system; and receivingconfirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remotecomputer system at the local computer system.
 32. The computer-readablestorage medium of claim 31 wherein the billing information comprises atleast one of: credit card information for the purchase transaction; abilling address for the purchase transaction; and a shipping address forthe purchase transaction.
 33. The computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 31 wherein the computer-readable storage medium further storesinstructions that cause the local computer system to electronicallyrecord the confirmation information in the electronic storage device.34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein thecomputer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that causethe local computer system to: provide a query at the local computersystem about whether the billing information can be released to theremote computer system; receive a response to the query at the localcomputer system; and electronically retrieve at least some of thebilling information from the electronic storage device in the localcomputer system if the response to the query indicates that the billinginformation can be released to the remote computer system.
 35. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein thecomputer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that causethe local computer system to: provide a query at the local computersystem about whether the billing information can be released to theremote computer system; receive a response to the query at the localcomputer system; and send the retrieved billing information from thelocal computer system to the remote computer system only if the responseto the query indicates that the billing information can be released tothe remote computer system.
 36. The computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 31 wherein the computer-readable storage medium further storesinstructions that cause the local computer system to: provide a query atthe local computer system for a password for the billing information;receive a response to the query at the local computer system, theresponse including a user password; determine at the local computersystem if the user password matches the password for the billinginformation; and if the local computer system determines that the userpassword matches the password for the billing information,electronically retrieve at least some of the billing information fromthe electronic storage device in the local computer system.
 37. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein thecomputer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that causethe local computer system to: provide a query at the local computersystem for a password for the billing information; receive a response tothe query at the local computer system, the response including a userpassword; determine at the local computer system if the user passwordmatches the password for the billing information; and if the localcomputer system determines that the user password matches the passwordfor the billing information, send the retrieved billing information fromthe local computer system to the remote computer system.
 38. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein the confirmationinformation comprises at least one of: a confirmation number for thepurchase transaction; a list of items involved in the purchasetransaction; a total amount for the purchase transaction; a seller'sname for the purchase transaction; a date of the purchase transaction;and shipping information related to the purchase transaction.
 39. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein thecomputer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that causethe local computer system to: provide a query for the billinginformation at the local computer system; receive the billinginformation at the local computer system; and record the receivedbilling information in the electronic storage device in the localcomputer system.
 40. A local computer system, comprising: a receivingmechanism that is configured to receive a request for billinginformation from a remote computer system; an electronic storage devicethat is configured to store at least some of the billing information; asending mechanism that is configured to retrieve at least some of thebilling information from the electronic storage device and to send theretrieved billing information to the remote computer system; and thereceiving mechanism further being configured to receive confirmationinformation for the purchase transaction from the remote computer systemat the local client computer system.
 41. The local computer system ofclaim 40, further comprising a recording mechanism that is configured toelectronically record the confirmation information in the electronicstorage device.
 42. The local computer system of claim 40 wherein thebilling information comprises at least one of: credit card informationfor the purchase transaction; a billing address for the purchasetransaction; and a shipping address for the purchase transaction. 43.The local computer system of claim 40 wherein the sending mechanism isfurther configured to: provide a query at the local computer systemabout whether the billing information can be released to the remotecomputer system; and retrieve at least some of the billing informationfrom the electronic storage device if a response to the query indicatesthat the billing information can be released to the remote computersystem.
 44. The local computer system of claim 40 wherein the sendingmechanism is further configured to: provide a query at the localcomputer system about whether the billing information can be released tothe remote computer system; and send the retrieved billing informationfrom the local client computer system to the remote computer system if aresponse to the query indicates that the billing information can bereleased to the remote computer system.
 45. The local computer system ofclaim 40 wherein the sending mechanism is further configured to: providea query at the local computer system about whether the billinginformation can be released to the remote computer system; and retrieveat least some of the billing information from the electronic storagedevice if a response to the query indicates that the billing informationcan be released to the remote computer system.
 46. The local computersystem of claim 40 wherein the sending mechanism is further configuredto: provide a query at the local computer system for a password for thebilling information; receive a response to the query at the localcomputer system, the response including a user password; determine ifthe user password matches the password for the billing information; andif the sending mechanism determines that the user password matches thepassword for the billing information, electronically retrieve at leastsome of the billing information from the electronic storage device inthe local computer system.
 47. The local computer system of claim 40wherein the sending mechanism is further configured to: provide a queryat the local computer system for a password for the billing information;receive a response to the query at the local computer system, theresponse including a user password; determine if the user passwordmatches the password for the billing information; and if the sendingmechanism determines that the user password matches the password for thebilling information, send the retrieved billing information from thelocal client computer system to the remote computer system.
 48. Thelocal computer system of claim 40 wherein the confirmation informationcomprises at least one of: a confirmation number for the purchasetransaction; a list of items involved in the purchase transaction; atotal amount for the purchase transaction; a seller's name for thepurchase transaction; a date of the purchase transaction; and shippinginformation related to the purchase transaction.
 49. The local computersystem of claim 40 wherein the sending mechanism is further configuredto: provide a query for the billing information; receive the billinginformation at the local computer system; and record the receivedbilling information in the electronic storage device in the localcomputer system.